


The Rule of Gods

by corsakitsune (camakitsune), MrsArataka



Series: The Servants of the Gods [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Animal Death, Description of Snake Eating, Religious Conflict, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Snakes, Toads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-25 21:33:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13843464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/camakitsune/pseuds/corsakitsune, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsArataka/pseuds/MrsArataka
Summary: Tiya thought of her village's god as a parent ensuring their success. But one day an event occurs that changes her perspective on the conflicts of the divine forever.





	The Rule of Gods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [corsakitsune (camakitsune)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/camakitsune/gifts).



> This was an exciting project for my dear friend Cama starring her original characters. Hope you enjoy!

In those days when I was young, I believed the rule of Gods to be absolute. It was the truth I’d held for my entire life, the truth held by my people for centuries. It was our belief that Vatt, our God, would punish and reward us for our actions, equally delivering blessings and dealing out punishment. It was what my father, our town’s priest, and his predecessors taught us, and we allowed this truth to guide us, holding tight like the hand of a mother.

 

But the rule of the gods is not as absolute as we thought. We didn’t know that the gods have disputes as mortals do - and in the same way, when a dispute occurs, someone must stand down.

 

When I was just thirteen, I learned this truth after witnessing it firsthand. I didn’t think the rest of our village processed what happened that day in the same way I did, but I took what I saw to heart. That day, I learned just how gods settle their disagreements.

 

My father delivered to us the word of Vatt, and led us in prayers to our god. Life was quiet then - simpler. We all lived in peace, knowing that as long as we worshipped dutifully, Vatt would bless our village, guard us from the dangers of the world. In the end, the word of our god was law.

 

After a life of religious servitude, he saw Vatt as the ultimate of ultimates, a parent overseeing our well-being and protecting us from all harm. If his faith had been shaken after that day, he never showed it.

 

In big and small ways, everyone in the village took part in building the dam across the river that ran near our homes and fields. Because of this, we were all very excited when it was finally complete. The bountiful water would not only benefit our farmers and ranchers, but would benefit all of us, as we believed Vatt intended. To ensure that blessings would be upon us, my father declared that there would be a ceremony to bless the dam, and ultimately bless all of us.

Our lives would change forever on the day of this festival. From then on, I saw the world no longer in black and white, but in the vivid, sublime colors in which it truly operated.

 

Not long before then, I began to notice the snakes. Coiled into the shadows, shrinking from me as I walked past buildings and among the other villagers, occasionally hissing alongside the hum of cicadas, I spotted them. I’d seen snakes before, of course, but never went near - I'd always been told to stay far away from them, in case they were venomous.But in the days leading up to that ceremony, I saw more snakes than ever before. I don’t remember now if I ever asked if their growing numbers was unusual - though I doubt I would have thought to ask. But something about their coiled, wriggling bodies increasingly peppering the village filled me with anxiety and dread. 

 

Early in the mornings, my brother Otto and I would often walk to the well pump to gather our family’s daily supply of water. With the wash basin in hand, we’d head out just as the sun began blanketing the village in orange light. While Otto did the harder job of pumping the water from the well, I would traipse down to the nearby creek and play with the frogs that gathered on the banks in those early hours.

 

But one day as we headed down the trail, I noticed something unsettling. Usually at that time, the symphony of croaking frogs would be loud enough to drown out the sounds of the rushing water. Most days, it was so loud that we’d hear it before we even reached the well. But today, we were met with an eerie silence. We could hear not a single croak.

I did notice, even from a distance, a number of snakes. As we approached, they slithered into the bushes and grass. Alarmed, I tried not to think about them, and only thanked Vatt they didn’t come after us.

 

While Otto began to pump water into the wash basin, I headed to the creekside, making sure to stay within his sight as I always did. As I approached I felt that same sense of youthful joy as I always did when I saw frogs among the pebbles and mud - much less than usual, but they were still here. But as I looked closer, I noticed their rapid breaths, their throats pumping frantically, and know something was wrong. Worried, I searched the area, looking for what had them so frightened.

 

Under a bush, I saw a snake, coiled with its head raised. As I approached it turned to me, showing me a terrible sight that made my blood run cold.

The snake's jaws were unhinged, moving occasionally to accommodate the body of the large toad in its mouth. From its gaping maw, I could see the head and a single leg of its unfortunate prey. The toad’s translucent eyelids blinked at me, its vocal sac pounding helplessly. Accepting its fate, the toad did not fight the strong grip of the snake’s white-pink mouth; it stared at me, into me, through me.

 

I felt the fear in my bones as I shrieked, my stomach dropping. When he heard me, Otto called my name.

 

“ _Tiya?_ ” Otto shouted, but I was still too afraid to answer. I heard his footsteps rush to meet me. “What’s-”

 

He too saw the snake, and let out a gasp of surprise. Otto was older than me, and had probably seen a snake eating a toad before, but it made the sight no less frightening, especially after seeing the look of fear in my eyes. For a moment he too stared, unable to turn away from the sight.

 

“T-Tiya,” Otto stuttered, trying and failing to maintain an even tone, “come on, help me with the water. Let’s go home.” 

 

A hand on my back, Otto made a motion to turn me away. His touch snapped me out of my daze, and I obeyed him. 

 

Stricken with shock, we did little else but finish pumping the well and took our water home in silence, and didn't answer my mother when she asked us why we were so quiet. After that, I didn't accompany Otto to the well for some time.

 

For days afterward, I noticed snakes near any source of water I came close to, and not a single toad. Whenever I saw one, the memory of the snake squishing its prey into its mouth flashed before my eyes, and I would turn away quickly, trying to push the horrible thought down. 

On the day of the festival, our village gathered for our day of worship. During service, my father delivered to us a grave warning:

 

“Recently, the number of snake sightings in the village has increased dramatically," he announced to the crowd of parishioners. 

 

I squirmed uncomfortably, seated near the front of the church with the rest of my family. The memory of the snake with the toad rose once again in my mind, and I pushed it away, willing myself not to think of it.

 

“For the safety of everyone,” my father continued, “do not approach one if you see it. We aren’t sure if they’re venomous or not, but in this case, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

 

Once the ceremonies had been completed, the rest of the village filtered from the church and headed straight to the dam. In the meantime, I assisted with the task of replacing the water in the church’s wash basins. In a back room with my friends Chali and Typha, the three of us unloaded empty vessels from the cart outside and replaced them with vases of fresh water. As we often did, we made idle chatter, and today our conversation drifted to my father’s timely message on snakes.

 

“Your father must be worried if he decided to warn us to stay away from them," Typha, who was around my age, fretted. 

 

I nodded. ”I've seen them all over the village," I replied, and decided against telling them my horrific story. "I wonder where they're coming from..." And to myself, I wished for them to go away.

 

"Their home's been flooded since the dam was built," Chali answered. Chali was a few years older than us, and knew more about the world. In our circle of friends, we looked to her as our de-facto leader. "They're looking for a new place to live."  


"But are they really dangerous?" Typha asked, trepidation in her voice.

 

Chali shrugged, and then a wicked grin crossed her face. "Not as dangerous as the monster in the forest.”

 

I scrunched my brow, looking to Chali. Typha gripped the vase of water she carried close for comfort. 

" _Th-the monster?_ " she repeated, her voice shaking.

 

Chali gave an enthusiastic nod, drawing herself up to look bigger and more threatening. "That's right - it lives in the forest downstream from the dam. What if it gets _angry_ at us for damming up its source of water?”

 

I could see Typha shudder from the corner of my eye.

 

"I heard," Chali continued, her voice sinister, "it's a monster _so_ big, it could swallow _all of us_ in just _one_ gulp!”

 

Typha cowered, the vase of water slipping in her grip. I reached out to keep it from falling.

 

"That's _enough,_ Chali!" I snapped, and looked back to Typha. "She's just trying to scare you. Even if the monster _did_ get angry about the dam, it won't do anything to us.”

 

Typha steadied her scared breaths. "You think so?”

 

"I _know_ so," I soothed. "The river belongs to Vatt - it wouldn't stand up to a _god_." I looked to Chali, frowning. “Right?"

 

I knew this to be the one unshakable truth. And so did the rest of us.

 

Chali rolled her eyes with a sly smile. " _Yeah,_ of course," she conceded. 

 

We had no idea how wrong we could be.

 

The dam was a great accomplishment, due in no small part to the blessings bestowed upon us by Vatt. To celebrate the occasion, the whole village had gathered on a hill overlooking the reservoir, already full to the top with water. Brimming with pride, the crowd anxiously awaited my father’s speech.

 

It was easy for Typha, Chali, and I to push our way to the front of the crowd to take in the full view of the reservoir and dam. Behind us the crowd came alive with chatter, some caught up in the excitement and joining together in songs of joy and celebration.

 

Vatt’s blessings embraced all of us then, even the three of us despite our ominous conversation earlier in the day. We relished the moment, feeling the warmth of our god’s embrace. 

My father made his way to the front of the crowd to deliver his blessing. The crowd fell silent when he came before us, waiting to hear his speech. He cleared his throat, and began:

"Today, our village is gathered to celebrate the perseverance of everyone who built this dam,” he began. “Without their hard work, none of this would have been possible.”

 

Many in the crowd nodded, making sounds of agreement.

 

“It is, of course, with Vatt’s blessing,” he continued, “that we have been so successful in completing this task. Today, Vatt has allowed our village the chance to reap the bounty of the river. Truly, this is a blessed day for all - not just _our_ village, but everyone from here to the Capital will reap the benefits of this accomplishment!”

 

More sounds of agreement from the crowd, with many thanking Vatt and encouraging my father as he spoke. A gifted speaker, his sermons always managed to draw positive reactions from the crowd. I beamed with pride for him, for delivering the absolute word of our god in a way that made others respect and revere the divine.

 

“And so,” my father said, “now, I ask Vatt to once again bless our hard work, and protect us from any who would dare to come between us and the bounty bestowed upon us by-“

 

"What is _that?!_ " A man in the back of the crowd shouted in horror, interrupting my father’s speech. 

 

The crowd looked for the source of the interruption. The man pointed a shaking hand at the other end of the reservoir, a terrified expression on his face.

 

" _There_ , in the water! _Look!_ " 

 

The crowd turned to match his gaze, and many began to gasp and make exclamations of terror. I turned to follow their gaze, and felt my whole body seize up.

 

An enormous shadow moved quickly through the water, rising up as it approached the dam’s edge. From the water emerged the head of a giant snake, and the crowd’s fright reached a crescendo as it rose from the water over the wall. 

 

Bristling with shock and awe, no one dared to move, transfixed by the strange sight of the massive snake as it moved.

 

"What is it _doing?_ " A curious onlooker asked as the crowd chattered, puzzled.

 

I watched as the snake came up from the water. Emerging from the reservoir, the snake roped its long body across the wall, piling upon itself in a shimmering, scaly mass as it stretched from end to end upon the dam.

 

"I know what it’s doing..." My mother muttered under her breath, cowering near me. She stood tall, speaking loud enough for the crowd to hear her, and shouted:  


" _It's trying to crush the dam!_ ”

 

The crowd gasped at the realization, watching with surprise as the snake pressed its full weight into the dam. My father watched the scene with a stiff jaw, standing firm, but did not move as the crowd rustled.

 

We all filled with dread at the thought of losing the dam and the benefits it would provide after all our hard work. As the village watched the snake, some cried out to Vatt, pleading for help.

 

A soft rain began to blanket the hill despite the bright sun and cloudless sky. My father looked up at the sky with a smile of relief.

 

" _Everyone!_ " My father shouted over the crowd, his booming voice authoritative. “This rain is a sign of hope from Vatt! Our god has heard your cries for help!”

 

Still filled with fear and dread, the crowd stopped for a moment to listen to my father, and I heard sounds of relief rise up from some of the villagers. Of course it was divine message! Vatt, the god who presided over the rivers and the water, who we all dutifully worshipped, would surely help us in our time of need!

 

"I _know_ it is Vatt!" The determination in my father's voice unwounded some of the palpable anxiety. "Vatt is here to help us stop the beast!”

 

The rain moved across the crowd, and I watched as it danced on the surface of the reservoir, reaching the snake that writhed and coiled on the wall.

 

" _Men of the village!_ " My father called out to the crowd, his tone still even and without panic, commanding and befitting of a village leader. "Anyone with a gun! If you are able, move away from the crowds and children, and open fire on the beast!”

 

I watched as men with rifles strapped to their backs ran to the hill's edge and stripped off their guns, loading the barrels and drawing up their weapons to shoot the beast. As the men moved in droves towards the scene, I felt my mother's hand on my back guide me away from the cliff.

 

" _Come on Tiya!_ " She shouted, enveloping Chali and Typha in her arms as well. "Girls, move away! It's dangerous to stay here, let's _go!_ ”

 

Struck immobile by the sight before me, I watched as the men shouted amongst themselves and at the beast, shooting every bullet they had at the snake. Still, it had no effect - the snake hardly registered their bullets hitting its great body. As the snake continued to writhe, the frustrated men continued to fire upon it, getting louder and angrier as the rain beat down harder upon us, moving even past the reservoir, and towards the forest downstream.

 

I thought back to earlier in the day, to what Typha mentioned about the beast in the forest. I knew this could only be the one she had told us about.

 

The wall cracked in tendrils, the stone and mud crumbling into the water below. Water streamed from the cracks, pouring through as holes opened up and more formed along the bursting dam wall. Finally, the wall crumbled in an awful crashing sound, the water rushing from the reservoir and flooding the valley below.

 

" _Tiya!_ " My mother's stern voice snapped me out of my daze. 

 

I looked over my shoulder, and saw Typha and Chali far ahead of both of us, bolting away from the hilltop with the rest of the village. My mother grabbed my arm, pulling me along. I turned to run, going as fast as my feet could carry me. 

 

Others passed me as I ran, their feet carrying them faster than my short legs could. The rain, pounding on us as we sprinted through the mud, came down in thick sheets that clouded my vision, soaking the earth. I turned to look behind me, and instantly wished I hadn’t.

 

The snake rose above us, and even as far from it as I was now I felt overwhelmed by its size. It looked up, at the clouds pouring down their torrential rain, and opened its great white-pink mouth to the darkened sky, baring its long, dripping fangs. 

 

I knew even then that this enormous beast had come to challenge Vatt. And we were merely caught in the crossfire.

 

As I turned my back to the snake to run, I noticed an overwhelming feeling in my gut that made my skin prickle. I looked around to see if anyone else felt what I did - if so, they made no show of it. My feet slowed to a stop, overwhelmed by this distinct feeling of an all-encompassing presence.

 

_Vatt is here._

 

When my father claimed the rain despite the sun a sign in our favor from Vatt, I believed him, but now I felt our god’s presence _in my whole being_. Now, I knew _for sure_ that Vatt was with us. Our god answered our call, and was now here to punish the beast! How would he deliver divine justice to this monster, who had dared to destroy the hard work of Vatt's people? Surely, I thought, the snake that had ruined our dam would-

 

Sunshine once again peeked through the clouds that had quickly overtaken the sky just moments before. As the rain dwindled from a downpour to a light drizzle, I saw other members of our village stop in their tracks, turning to look up at the sky in confusion as the rain finally subsided, and looking towards the emptying reservoir. I turned too, expecting to see the snake dead, or at least cowering in fear of Vatt.

 

The snake was no longer baring its fangs to the sky. In fact, it was gone entirely, leaving no trace except for the the crushed dam and the rapidly-emptying reservoir.

 

I jumped at the sudden feeling of something slithering over my foot. Looking down, I saw the tail of a snake across my toes as it moved through the mud, past me. When I looked around, I saw hundreds of other snakes slithering through the crowd, past the masses, through their legs and feet, making no attempts to bite or attack the stunned onlookers. I watched in awe as snakes came from the village, from bushes and streams that fed into the river, and rushed to the water. When I turned to look at the river, I saw it filled bank-to-bank with snakes zigzagging downstream, towards the forest. In an instant, the thousands of snakes that had plagued our village for days were gone.

 

A hushed silence fell over the crowd, staring at the wreckage of the destroyed dam, the ground along the sides of the reservoir still dark and damp, the water now streaming steadily through the large chunks of rubble that filled the water and washed up on the riverbanks.

As quickly as it had begun, Vatt's struggle with the beast had ended.

 

The people of the village lived in a state of shock for days afterward, trying to come to terms with what had happened. Snakes no longer gathered near bodies of water or well pumps, and the toads whose numbers had been decimated by the fearsome creatures started to return. Over the next few days I began to hear their hesitant morning croaks, until soon they were as loud as they had once been, and again I started to accompany Otto on his morning trip to the well… though I was no longer so eager to rush to the creekside and play with them. 

 

No one spoke of what happened on that day for some time.

 

I remember asking my father once how he viewed the events of that day. I wanted to hear the opinion of a holy man who preached the word of Vatt.

 

“…It's simple," he told me, after a long moment of hesitation. "It was because of Vatt that the snake didn't dare to harm the people of the village. With the help of Vatt, we were all blessed that day.”

 

"But the dam was destroyed," I retorted. "I thought Vatt had the final say on what happened to the water and the river?”

 

My father opened his mouth to speak, but paused again. When he spoke, his tone was rockier, less sure.

 

"The point is," he assured me, "Vatt was there to help us in our time of need. And _that_ is a god’s _true_ duty.”

 

I thought about what my father said to me for a long time. Later, when I asked others in the village what they thought about that day, they gave me similar answers - it was thanks to Vatt that we were saved. And to an extent, I agreed.

 

But even with my father’s explanation, I understood the situation quite differently, and after my discussion with him I was afraid to see if others shared my opinion. Yes, Vatt had protected us, and seen to it that no harm was done to us that day, but our hard work was still destroyed despite the blessings we bestowed upon our god. Had we not worshipped hard enough?

 

I once thought of Vatt like a parent who ensured the happiness and well-being of their children. If anyone - or anything - dared to come between the success of Vatt’s dutiful worshippers or attempted to derail their ambitions, our god would most certainly go out for blood. In my eyes Vatt was the ultimate ruler, with the final say in what was permitted of our work and of what we did with the river.

 

But that day, Vatt had lost.

 

The beast had risen to challenge us, and Vatt took our place to fight it. Vatt made an attempt to assert dominance over the bease, but on that day, the snake made a demand of Vatt that our god could not fight.

 

We were saved by our god, that much was true. But I knew from that day that the word of Vatt was not absolute - even gods have fights, and I had bared witness to my god standing down.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on Twitter @arataka_tsuma  
> Follow Cama on Twitter @chama_zerda


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